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Ex-priest returned for trial on historic child abuse charges

William Carney to stand trial on 34 counts of indecent assault of eight boys and two girls

Wed, Jun 26, 2013, 16:03

Tom Tuite

William Carney expected to appear in court again on July 19th

A former priest was served with a book of evidence yesterday and has been returned for trial on historic child sex abuse charges.

William Carney, aged 63, who is currently of no fixed abode, is to stand trial on 34 counts of indecent assault of eight boys and two girls, at locations in Dublin and north east Leinster from 1969 until 1989.

The DPP had directed that he must face trial on indictment.

Yesterday at Cloverhill District Court, the State served him with a book of evidence and Judge Grainne Malone then made an order sending Mr Carney forward for trial.

The former priest will make his next appearance at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on July 19th next.

He has not yet indicated how he will plead to the charges and was further remanded in custody with consent to bail, which he has yet to take up.

He has 14 days to notify and furnish relevant details to the prosecution if he intends to use an alibi as part of his defence.

At a previous stage in the proceedings, Judge Malone had lifted an earlier order prohibiting the media from naming the 63-year-old and had held that he did not have a right to anonymity.

Her ruling last month came following submissions from lawyers for RTE, The Irish Times, the Irish Independent and the Irish Daily Mail’s publishers Associated Newspapers, who had argued that there was no legislative provision barring the identification of Mr Carney.